America’s Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities

13. Austin, TX

13 / 50

Population: 790,390

Claims to Fame: The city installed 35 miles of bikeways in 2011; a new urban-trail plan emphasizes off-street paths, like the 6-mile Lance Armstrong Bikeway. The Austin Bike Zoo animals—including an 80-foot rattlesnake powered by six riders, tandem butterflies, and a bat tricycle—are an institution at parades.

Biggest Challenge: Though tireless bike advocates have a near-perfect record for projects they’ve championed, involvement from the thriving cycling community remains sporadic.